Daljeet Kaur alleges actor-husband Shaleen Bhanot tried to strangle her

TV actress Daljeet Kaur had quit acting to enjoy motherhood. And today, it is for the sake of her child, Shaarav, that she wants to return to work. Financially broke and emotionally broken, she is fighting a bitter divorce battle with her husband, actor Shaleen Bhanot. Between doing rounds of a city court, Daljeet opens up about her abusive marriage of five years.

Flashback Shaleen and Daljeet met during the shoot of their TV show, 'Kulvaddhu' (2006). "It wasn't love at first sight. We became close gradually and got married immediately after 'Nach Baliye'. Trouble started the very next day, when my mother-in-law stopped talking to me because she wasn't happy with the wedding gifts. Status-wise, we are very different and they always knew about it. My father has three daughters and couldn't afford the kind of wedding they expected," she recalls.

However, her real ordeal started when she quit work following pregnancy. She recalls, "During pregnancy, I developed severe asthma and was on steroids, which Shaleen doesn't even know. He never accompanied me to the doctor for check-ups." Further, Daljeet says her husband fought with her even on the day of their son's birth. "He didn't want me to undergo Caesarean and accused me of influencing the doctor. His argument was that I wouldn't be a woman enough if I went in for C-section."

Soon after they returned home, Shaleen stopped accompanying Daljeet and Shaarav for the baby's vaccinations. "He would claim he was busy though he wasn't working. He doesn't even know when his son took his first steps. He was never there — physically, emotionally or financially. He would go missing every night. It was evident from his behaviour that he is involved with other women," Daljeet says.

Episodes of violence

The actress recalls how violence was a part of her marriage right from the beginning. "He pushed me in my father's presence. My thigh was bruised for almost a month. But I forgave him, thinking it takes time for a marriage to work. On another occasion, he twisted my arm in front of his parents. But I finally decided enough was enough, when he came charging towards me while I had Shaarav in my arms. It could have turned fatal for my 40-day-old premature child. That day, I left for my parents' home in Bangalore," she says.

However, after a few days, Shaleen went to her, pleading, and she decided to give him another chance. But all hell broke loose on November 30, 2014, when Daljeet confronted Shaleen about his vanishing act.

"He threatened me with dire consequences if I left the house. Fearing for my son and my life, I went inside the room to pack my belongings. I was standing on a stool to pull out the suitcase, when he threw me down. He then locked the door from inside. Every time I would head to the door to escape, he would throw me on the floor like a ball. At one point, I opened the window and started screaming for help. He held me by my neck, shut the window and pushed me to the floor again. I hit the bed, my back was bleeding and my hand was terribly bruised. Suddenly, I realised that my maid was outside and requested her to get help. Shaleen held me with one hand, opened the door and threatened her too against leaving the house. Fortunately, she called my friend, who in turn alarmed a lot of other friends. I don't know who called the police, but within 15 minutes, they arrived." The same night, she filed an non-cognizable offence against Shaleen.

Back to the den of horror After recuperating, Daljeet went back to Shaleen as she didn't want to be a burden on her retired father. She says, "Shaleen was also keen to give our marriage another chance. My parents didn't speak to me for months after I chose to return to him. I hoped he would change, but within two days, he was back to square one. He even stopped paying for Shaarav's food. Then, on April 27 this year, a friend called me saying he had seen Shaleen kissing a girl under our building. When I confronted him, he grabbed me by my throat, pinned me against the wall and tried to strangle me. My maid pleaded with him to leave me. Fortunately, he left the house instantly and never returned. That's when I decided to file an FIR. The medical report clearly states that I had strangulation marks and my neck was swelling by the minute," she states. 'Court'-ship

Shaleen has managed to get bail all three times their case came up for hearing. "The inspector handling the case didn't show up and hence, he got bail. I finally approached the ACP, who added another section in it mentioning that I was strangulated. He got bail the third time citing that the addition was an afterthought, while I have medical proof to substantiate my claim. I want Shaleen behind bars and justice for myself. Hope I am not denied it just because I can't afford expensive lawyers," she says. A new beginning

"I feel no shame in admitting that I am broke today. I can't afford the rent and if I don't work, I don't even know how I will buy milk for my baby next month. Shaarav has just joined school and I spent all my meagre savings on it. I want him to be in a happy atmosphere, no matter what. I don't even mind working at a call centre to take care of my kid," she says.

Shaleen Bhanot's side of story "God knows I gave it my best to hold my family together" When contacted, Shaleen said, "Marriages are made in heaven, divorces in hell. When you marry, you hold hands for life. At times, divorces bring with them a child whose dignity rests in your resilience and silence. I married for love, the break-up is unfortunate. God knows I gave it my best to hold my family together to pass the storm. But I respect my little son's mother enough to grace her accusations with silence in public. I have full faith in our court of law. All I want is to see my son Shaarav whom I am really missing and have not met since two months."